Gross Motor Activities for Toddlers - Backwards Walking, Single Leg Balance & Jumping!
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I honestly can not believe some days that I have a toddler! These last 19 months have absolutely flown by and I am trying to take in each new (good and trying) experience that comes along with toddlerhood. Especially before baby number 2 comes along. E is going through a VERY independent phase right now. He has transitioned from his high chair into a booster seat, insists on going up and down the stairs without any help, and has strong opinions on his food and clothes. He’s getting more active every day and loves to climb and slide on his pikler triangle and “run” (fast walk) through the backyard.
It’s insane to think that just six months ago he was using his push walker toys and taking steps while holding onto my hand. As he continues to build confidence and explore the world around him the physical therapy side of my brain started to kicks in and I can’t help but think “how can I foster this energy and build his skills?” I know this is something that a lot of my clients ask as well. We spend so much time working on their little ones walking, but once they reach that point the question is, what do we work on next?
Once your little one has mastered walking and is falling down less often (who are we kidding, they’re still always falling down) they will be ready to start running, jumping, and climbing! As parents, these can be scary new skills to let them learn - we never want our little ones to get hurt and bumps and bruises often accompany these new skills. It’s important to help little ones develop these skills through play! These gross motor activities for toddlers will help develop these skill and are easy to incorporate into your playtime.
Backward Walking
How many times do you trip on a toy or a crack in the sidewalk and step backward to catch your balance? Probably more times than you even realize. That is because our bodies' proprioceptive system and vestibular are well developed and we are able to automatically “step to save” our balance. Backward wa; is not innate and is something that has to be learned. And as with all things with little ones, the best way to learn is through play! You should begin to see backward walking appear between 18-24 months.
Learning to walk backward is the best gross motor activity for toddlers to learn this skill and has so many great benefits for littles:
Safety - help’s to build your toddler’s ability to counterbalance a fall.
Leg Strength - Strengthens the leg muscles that help with achieving other milestones like climbing and kicking.
Balance - Strengthens their core muscles, improves their postural control, and develops the balance center in the brain.
Coordination - Helps little ones understand how to move their body backward without bumping into things.
Most children will eventually learn to walk backward on their own, but you can help foster this skill while you’re playing. Even if you demonstrate for your little one how to walk backwards, they will probably not copy you right away. The easiest way to introduce this skill is to make your little one think they’re playing and the best way I have found is to have your little one pull something. E has a wagon that he loves to pull around the yard while we play pick up sticks, a shopping cart that he pushes and pulls his toys around inside, and his new obsession has been helping pull the garden hose out to water the plant. Having something to pull helps control their balance and their speed and having something to hold onto helps build their confidence.
Standing on One Foot
While standing on one foot can be a difficult skill even for adults, it is an incredibly important skill. Around 16 months your child should begin to be able to hold onto an object and lift one foot and by 24 months they should be able to pick up one foot to kick a ball without losing balance. Even if it’s only for a second or two, we stand on one foot throughout the day to perform all kinds of activities and basic life skills making it an important gross motor activity for toddlers to learn:
Getting dressed (putting on pants)
Climbing stairs
Stepping over an obstacle
Kicking a ball
Skipping
Now, how do you get a rowdy toddler to slow down long enough to stand on one foot?! Games! Here are some fun ways to practice single-leg standing with your little one without it feeling like practice.
Step into and out of a laundry basket while holding onto the side. Practice taking toys into and out of the basket.
Toe Tapping - place colored dots on the ground or small traffic cones on the floor and have your little one tap their toe on each one. If their balance is advanced, encourage them to touch one dot and then another before putting their foot back down on the floor.
Stomping on bubbles - kids LOVE bubbles. Encourage your little one to pick up one foot and STOMP on the bubbles.
The “Animal Game” - this is an awesome game to help your toddler work on all of their gross motor skills and work on animal recognition. Demonstrate for your little one how to stand on one leg “like a flamingo”, hop with two feet “like a bunny” or walk on all fours “like a bear”
Jumping
This is something parents ask about all the time! When should my little one be jumping?! Typically you will see your child start to begin jumping between 16-18 months. The most usual progression is “bouncing” on the ground which looks more like bending and straightening their knees with their little feet barely leaving the floor if at all. After this, they may begin jumping down from things like the curb, a step, or a stool. Jumping down from something is much easier than jumping up off the ground. By 2.5 - 3 years they should begin jumping forward and hopping over objects on the floor.
Jumping is a ton of fun (I was a gymnast growing up, so I lived on a trampoline) but why is it an important gross motor skill for toddlers?
Strength - jumping requires a lot of strength in both your little ones’ legs and their core. This skill will help them gain the strength they need for other gross motor skills like running, climbing and eventually riding a bike.
Bone strength - jumping places GOOD stress on the bones, the kind that helps them grow hard and strong
Motor Planning - motor planning is the activity of your brain telling your body how to perform a task without really “thinking about it”. We use motor planning for all physical activities like brushing our teeth, walking upstairs and typing on our computers. Jumping requires a great deal of motor planning and helps a toddler’s brain learn how to judge distance, gauge how much energy is needed to jump, and how to land back on their feet.
Social Interactions - Like I said, jumping is fun! Whether it’s jumping rope, playing sports or just playing with friends, jumping tends to be a large part of kids’ play.
If you have a little one who is more timid about physical activity or doesn’t seem to be interested in jumping, that’s okay! You shouldn’t be concerned that your child isn’t jumping until 3 years old. If your little one seems to want to jump or you want to work on jumping try these activities:
My First Trampoline - even if they aren’t jumping yet, having a mini trampoline is a great toy for littles. It is great for teaching them to climb on to and off of surfaces. The handlebar also helps build children’s confidence with jumping and increases their safety as they’re learning these gross motor skills.
Jumping down - demonstrate for your little one how to jump down with two feet from a step or a curb and offer your hands for support as they try.
Animal Jumps - the animal game I mentioned above! Demonstrate for your little one how to stand on one leg “like a flamingo”, hop with two feet “like a bunny” or walk on all fours “like a bear”
While there are absolutely incidents where children are not developing at a typical pace and intervention (PT or OT) may be required, keep in mind that all little ones develop at their own pace, and the best way to facilitate these skills is through PLAY. Take them outside, let them run, let them climb, and take them to the playground! Children are curious and will begin exploring and developing if we give them the room to do so.
Last but not least, if you’re able, join them! Don’t be afraid to get on the ground with them, climb on the playground, jump on the trampoline. Children love to mimic their favorite people and seeing active adults helps breed active kids!
